Army in clashes with Kachin troops: reports
Government and Kachin troops were killed after fighting broke out early last week in northern Shan State, Kachin news agencies reported.
The clashes occurred while the army was launching a regional security operation near Narti-Mankan village where Kachin Independence Army Brigade-4 troops were stationed.
Two Kachin soldiers were killed and another injured while at least five government army troops were killed, the Kachin reports said.
The government’s military did not respond to requests for information.
Another clash between government troops and KIA Brigade-4 occurred in Kawng Woi Bum of Ganmain region on Thursday, the Kachin news reports said.
Sources from the Shan State Progressive Party-Shan State Army said skirmishes also occurred between their troops and government troops in valleys of the Lwelan and Lwese mountains on Thursday.
Fighting in Kachin State has decreased since the government’s peace-making committee and Kachin Independence Organisation held talks in February. Both sides agreed to continue talks till a ceasefire agreement is reached after they met again last month. They agreed to meet again before the middle of next week.
Japan to help rubber exports
The Japanese government is planning to provide technical and cash assistance for exporting of Myanmar’s rubber raw material to the Japanese market, secretary of Myanmar Rubber Agriculture and Producers Association Khaing Myint said.
“Japan wants to export the rubber raw materials in Myanmar. But the rubber raw materials must meet quality requirements. Japanese entrepreneurs and government representatives had visited rubber farms to find out the weak points of the rubber raw materials, and what could be done to improve the quality of materials to be exported,” said Myint.
Currently, Japan purchases rubber raw material products from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Myanmar exports 70 per cent of its rubber raw material products to China, while also exporting other kinds of rubber raw products such as RSS-1, RSS-3, RSS-5 and MSR.
Skippers to be charged after fatal collision
A 15-year-old girl died and one man was injured when a ferry and a vessel carrying rice collided in the Sukalatyekyaw River in Yangon’s Twantay township on Sunday night, the Yangon Region Police Force reported.
The Patheinthu was carrying 109 passengers from Yangon to Mawgyun-Pathein in Ayeyawady Region when it collided head-on with the Thuzata, a cargo vessel, police said.
The injured man, a 68-year-old, was hospitalised, police said. The captains of both vessels face legal action.
